3.4 seconds

The anatomy of acceleration.

You take a deep breath. Step on the accelerator. You´re pressed firmly into your seat. Experience butterflies in your stomach. Or in short: you accelerate from 0 to 100km/h. In 3.4 seconds. In a luxury saloon. In a four-seater sports car. In the new PanameraTurbo S E-Hybrid. An instant – intense, technically sophisticated and over in a flash. An instant that not only raises the driver's adrenaline to the maximum. In this instant, each component, every vehicle function of this high-performance hybrid is unleashing its full potential. We reveal what can only be imagined from the driver's seat.

A runway at night. The new PanameraTurbo S E-Hybrid. The most powerful Panamera of all time. A great demonstration of great engineering. A demonstration that primarily takes place inside the vehicle. Within a very short space of time. Remarkable for a saloon. And barley noticeable in terms of human perception. You turn the key and the new PanameraTurbo S E-Hybrid starts in E-Power mode. An auspicious silence. Within a fraction of a second, the various control units are communicating with each other and checking their respective operational readiness and roadworthiness. The green "Ready" light comes on in the instrument cluster display. Everything's ready.

You now set the mode switch to SPORT PLUS. With this action, the 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 engine springs to life, making its presence felt by means of a low murmur.

Launch Control can only be activated in SPORT PLUS mode. A function that ensures maximum acceleration from a standing start. Enables a real racing start. On every Porsche fitted with the Sport Chrono Package. Easy to operate and reproducible several times a day. This was repeatedly checked during development. Your left foot activates the brake. The brake booster ensures that the pressure in the system is around 20 to 30 bar. It's just like ordinary braking. The use of your left foot, however, is an early indication of something extraordinary. And here's where it gets exciting: with your left foot still on the brake, your right root presses the accelerator. 100 percent. Full throttle. As a result of this combined effect, within milliseconds all the systems detect that Launch Control is to be activated. That a racing start will now follow. And prepare themselves.

The twin-turbo V8 engine gets ready to deliver its maximum output. Accelerates up to 5,000rpm and begins to vibrate. Its full power at the ready. A real work of art that uses all its energy to maintain this high rpm at a constant level. At the same time, the engine harnesses the manifold pressure and forces it past the engine intake duct. It can therefore apply the full cylinder charge immediately the car moves off, so as to deliver maximum power within a fraction of a second. In the same instant, the transmission presses against the clutch plates ever so slightly. Both the power units – electric motor and combustion engine – provide torque to the clutch. So the PanameraTurbo S E-Hybrid is ready to set off the moment the brakes are released. Faster than gravity.

But the sports car is still stationary. You put your left foot on the brake. Place both hands firmly on the steering wheel. The suspension is firmly tuned. The 14kWh lithium-ion battery prepares to supply maximum current. The cooling systems get ready to provide maximum cooling capacity.

The hang-on clutch of the all-wheel drive and electronically-controlled rear differential lock of Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus are adjusted for maximum load, thereby ensuring optimum traction on all four wheels in order to perfectly distribute the power of both drive units.

"Launch Control active". Not a second has passed since the accelerator was first depressed, in order to activate Launch Control and prime the systems. The PanameraTurbo S E-Hybrid stands murmuring on the runway. Ahead of it the straight. The combustion engine rotates at 5,000rpm. As does the electric motor. All the systems are ready. Then you release the brake.

The electric motor immediately provides maximum torque, propelling the vehicle forward and thereby bridging the gap that the turbo engine requires to reach maximum torque. Less than 200 milliseconds. Both respond to the clutch. Endeavouring to transfer all their power to the drivetrain and deliver it to the road via the wheels. The clutch attempts to suppress the two power units. To prevent the wheels from spinning during start-up, the clutch regulates the torque, so as to attain the ideal wheel slippage.

15 to 20 percent wheel slippage should be achieved, because this is when the tyres have most traction. Not easy to do: the 8-speed Porsche Doppelkupplung (PDK), Porsche Stability Management, Porsche Active Suspension Management and Porsche Torque Vectoring must jointly adjust the start-up process – in constant coordination. When Launch Control is active, the systems and car adapt to the road. Identifying the nature of the tarmac. Feeling the grip. And adjusting themselves accordingly. This is the really great engineering behind Launch Control, which is performed in just a few hundredths of a second.

The electric motor and combustion engine now fully discharge their combined power. An overall torque of 850 Newton metres. 680hp. Sheer power. In first gear, this rises steeply towards the speed threshold. Up to 6,800rpm.

You now shift into second gear. The new 8-speed Porsche Doppelkupplung (PDK) ensures the right dynamics. While the first gear clutch is closed, the speedometer needle climbs steadily towards the threshold and second gear is now engaged on the second clutch. There's an overlap: as the pressure on the first clutch plate decreases, it seamlessly passes to the second clutch plate. Just like in a relay.

Meanwhile, the car continues to accelerate. Inexorably towards 6,800rpm. But the engine ignores the threshold, trusting the transmission. Remains at maximum torque, which it wouldn't normally do. It knows that the transmission will pull it down to the target second gear speed of 5,000rpm when Launch Control is active. It sucks in air. Expels air. The electric motor also delivers maximum torque. The clutch makes every effort to respond. And manages to close. 400 milliseconds – and the speed drops. The result: no interruption in the flow of power. No loss of speed. On the contrary, the car receives an additional 0.5g of forward thrust.

The combustion engine and electric motor both work flat out at all times. Aim to produce maximum torque. And therefore achieve a perfect balance. Sometimes the combustion engine works harder, sometimes the electric motor. During the entire acceleration process, both deliver maximum power. Always. Even during gearshifts. Optimised for maximum performance by PDK.

The tachometer reads 85km/h. You again shift up a gear, moving into third. Just before the speed threshold. Within a whisker of 6,800rpm. This propels the PanameraTurbo S E-Hybrid forward again. The gearshifts are complete just before the moment you exceed 100km/h. 52 metres from the start.

A great moment. And because it may have been over too soon, here's another overview of the main features of our protagonist: